


THE LOVERS

by Imandra_Pipkin



Series: Shadowhunter Tarot [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), malec - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Post Edom, Reverie of love, Sleeping Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23854486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imandra_Pipkin/pseuds/Imandra_Pipkin
Summary: Magnus gently brushed a strand of hair from Alec's face. It wasn't the first time that Magnus had watched Alec sleep, but only now did he realize how much he had missed this simple gesture.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Shadowhunter Tarot [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718071
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64
Collections: Shadowhunters Tarot Challenge





	THE LOVERS

**Author's Note:**

> Beneath a starry night sky and twinkling lights, couples sway and twirl together in the joyful and colorful dance of a masquerade.  
> This card is always a welcome sight, especially for those in new relationships. The Lovers signifies a true and balanced partnership, a union of dualities that amplify each other’s strengths. It symbolizes two people who perfectly complement each other. It is intimacy and connection and sexuality, young love and the protection of the love that surrounds you. It is the discovery of yourself through your connection with others.

Magnus gently brushed a strand of hair from Alec's face. It wasn't the first time that Magnus had watched Alec sleep, but only now did he realize how much he had missed this simple gesture. The gleam of his engagement ring made Magnus smile. So much had happened in such a short time. 

Alec had spurred him to the highest heights and catapulted him to the deepest depths. Literally and figuratively.

Both of them had had to make difficult decisions, which in the end had led to them breaking up twice.

He had forgiven Alec for not telling him the truth about the soul sword. Magnus chose the Warlock community over Alec because he was convinced that he had no other choice at the time. The Seelie queen had given him an ultimatum to decide. But he could hardly think of anything else than Alec. He hadn't known that the Seelie queen had played the wrong game and the Warlock community would then drop him.

And then Alec came to him with the request to seal the rift. Magnus could understand what it must have meant for Alec to come to him. It couldn't have been easy for him. But that's how Alec was. He always did the right thing, did what was necessary to fulfill the tasks of the nephilim, regardless of his personal feelings and desires. Which was exactly what brought them into this situation in the first place.

It wasn't easy for Magnus to see him again, outside the door of his loft, then chased by winged demons on the shore, then collapsed at the institute when he felt Jace die.

Magnus wasn't the unforgiving type. When Alec asked him: 'Can we talk?' everything else became irrelevant.

So he was ready to follow Alec out of the Hunter's Moon, to hear him out, to talk. Therefore his suggestion to go somewhere else, although he had not (yet) dared to say 'home'.

Alec was by his side when Magnus went through dark moods. Magnus had lost everything, his position as High Warlock of Brooklyn, his loft, his magic. Alec was with him, supported him. Alec tried to understand what the loss of magic means for a warlock. Alec tried to make Magus understand that he is more than the sum of his parts. 

As a result, Magnus learned to slowly open up to him, could admit that sleep is a bit of a struggle. That wasn't possible for him at first after being tortured with the agony rune.

Having to live a mortal life after centuries of immortality was ... a challenge? At least an experience that he never thought he would have to endure.

Alec elucidated to him how important it was to slow down to be able to savor every experience.

Alec endured him when he could no longer endure himself. When he tried to drown his self-pity in alcohol, Alec was there. Alec was there for him. Alec was there to hold him.

Alec was there when he woke up in the institute's infirmary; Alec was there when Lorenzo had taken his magic away, when he felt this abysmal emptiness, this worthlessness for the second time. 

Magnus had been so caught up in his feelings, his misery. It was too much at once that he was forced to cope with, the loss of his position as High Warlock of Brooklyn to his rival Lorenzo Rey of all places, the loss of his magic, twice. The excessive consumption of alcohol during this time was also not helpful.

Ashamed, he thought of his break down on the institute's balcony. It wasn't exactly his strongest performance, but Alec was there to catch him, to take care of him.

When Alec broke up with him, Magnus was devastated. He had hoped, and even dared to believe a little, to make progress.

Now he had actually lost everything. Alec was his everything. His father gave him back his magic, but his despair had almost driven him to wipe out all memories of Alec.

From the moment Maryse showed him the Lightwood Ring and Magnus realized that Alec had wanted to propose to him, the world shifted on it's axis. Suddenly he understood that there was more to Alec's behavior, the break up was too sudden, too contradictory to his normal behavior, especially after he had been with him continuously in the institute's infirmary, holding his hand. 

In addition, his speech, which came from his heart, that he could not lose Magnus.

_I can't._

Why hadn't he noticed that once again Alec had said 'I can't' and not 'I don't want to anymore'?

But that didn't matter anymore. He wanted his man back. But before that he had to confront his father.

He will never forget Alec's reaction when he explained that he knew about Alec's deal with his father. A kiss can express so much, relief, hope, love.

Alec got so emotional when Magnus showed him the rings and asked him if he wanted to marry him. His little sob will remain one of his favorite memories forever.

But their happiness was short-lived.

He had been aware of the consequences when he saw the rift in Alicante, which only he was able to seal. He knew that he would never be able to leave Edom again. He had resigned himself to having to spend the rest of his life in Edom to save those he loved. 

His heart felt light. And yet so unspeakably heavy.

He had his angel back. After the emotional turmoils, he was ultimately convinced that Alec truly loved him. They were engaged. The thought kept him going. The thought of Alec and the sight of his engagement ring prevented him from sinking too deeply into depression during the periods when he felt miserable. 

Alec had worked tirelessly to find a solution to get to Edom. It wasn't until everyone was back safe and sound at the Institute that Magnus had learned that Alec was ready for Simon to turn him into a vampire to save him.

_Oh, Alec. My angel._

None of my previous lovers would have done anything like that for me.

Axel was only loyal to the royal family and basically it was never more than being attracted to him.

He didn't think back often about his time with Imasu. It was idle to think about whether Imasu would still have broken up with him, if he had told him the truth, if he would have told him about the shadow world. Imasu had felt that Magnus was too ephemeral. You can only tell your lover something like this if you don't know that he is immortal.

Camille simply disappeared to Saint Petersburg to meet a new lover. While they weren't good at talking about their problems, it wasn't the best way to solve those problems, but it was no less effective because it gave Magnus the right motivation to ultimately leave her.

Of all the previous lovers, Etta was the only one who had no selfish motives when she broke up with him. Magnus had learned from his mistake with Imasu and told Etta about the shadow world. Etta wanted a family he couldn't give her, but she also wanted to save him the pain of her death and had left him. 

Alec had left him, sacrificed his own happiness so that Magnus could get his magic back. Alec, a nephilim, would have turned into a vampire, left his parents, siblings and parabatai to live with him in Edom. Only Alec was capable of such an act of selflessness.

His angel looked so peaceful in his sleep. Magnus kept forgetting how innocent Alec was in certain things. He was his first relationship, his first love, his first experiences, which was not exclusively related to the physical aspects.

Reunited and finally at home, in their home, they first realized the reality. The first kisses spoke of relief, the joy of reunion, the feeling of happiness in being still alive. 

These kisses caught fire very quickly, their clothes, scattered on the floor, showed the way to their bedroom. Both didn't last long. Sex was an valve for their pent-up emotions. On their second round they took their time for a tender lovemaking.

They paused again and again just to make sure that they were finally and truly together again, that the other one was alive, that they were alive.

Magnus was tempted to wake Alec for a third round. But no, Alec needed his sleep.

And Magnus had a wedding to plan. He didn't want to waste a single moment. Alec was his world. And he wanted to show that to the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is not my best work (It's way too superficial to be truly satisfied with it.), I don't dare to ask for kudos, but comments are appreciated.  
> As always, if you find a mistake/typo or a phrase that sounds odd, please let me know.  
> For suggestions and complaints you can find me at [twitter](https://twitter.com/Imandras) or [tumblr](https://imandras.tumblr.com)
> 
> #SaveShadowhunters ➰  
> #Shadowhunters 💕


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